Marine Animals

Marine Plastic Entanglement and Wildlife Suffering

Ocean plastic debris entangles and kills hundreds of thousands of marine animals annually including turtles seals whales and seabirds in prolonged and preventable suffering.

Key Facts

An estimated 100,000 marine animals die from plastic entanglement annually
Fishing gear ghost nets account for the majority of entanglement deaths among large marine animals
Entangled animals often carry injuries for months before death from exhaustion or infection
Plastic entanglement deaths are rarely witnessed making the true scale difficult to quantify

Welfare Considerations

Plastic entanglement causes some of the most prolonged suffering of any anthropogenic threat to wildlife. Animals caught in ghost nets or six-pack rings experience restriction of movement that causes exhaustion, impaired feeding, drowning, and infection from wounds. Death can take weeks or months. The suffering is extended and invisible to most humans. Beach cleanup and plastic reduction at source are among the most direct individual interventions possible.

What You Can Do

Participate in beach and waterway cleanup events to remove entanglement hazards
Cut all plastic rings and loops before disposal to prevent entanglement
Support legislation banning single-use plastics that commonly enter the marine environment
Donate to organizations providing entanglement rescue and ghost net removal services